[in a Synagogue; referring to the Rabbis] Ralph the Pig: They all got long hair. They all got long clothes. Must be a hippie church!

Ralph Bakshi's 1972 feature film adaptation of Robert Crumb's comic strip Fritz the Cat. Famous for being the first X-rated animation in the United States, it is an amalgamation of many plotlines from the comic into a feature film. It was more overt in its political and social commentary than the comics, which were largely light entertainment.

The movie follows Fritz as he roams New York (and later takes a roadtrip to San Francisco) in The '60s, ostensibly looking for a cause to join in. Over the course of the movie he spends time hanging out with stoners, talking to black people (represented by crows) in Harlem where he meets Duke, very briefly meeting with some Rabbis, going on a road trip with his girlfriend Winston, and ultimately meeting with extremists who blow up a power plant. Unsurprisingly, he spends most of the movie running from the police (represented as, of course, pigs). Of course, his goal of finding himself always seems to take a back seat to more immediate gratification in the form of carnal pleasures or good ol' fashioned weed.

Though he had directed several TV shows previously, this was Bakshi's directorial debut for a full-length film. After coming across a Fritz comic in a Manhattan book store, Bakshi went straight to author R. Crumb to ask for the rights to turn the comic into a movie. Although Crumb gave Bakshi a sketchbook of his to help him learn to draw Fritz, he was highly doubtful of the film's potential for success, and never agreed to sign over the rights to green-light the film. Producer Steve Krantz, however, struck a deal with Crumb's wife, allowing the film to begin production; Crumb was paid $50,000 for the film rights.

Tropes:

Accidental Murder: In a surprisingly sudden and sad turn of events, Duke is shot by a stray bullet while attempting to keep Fritz safe from the gunfire. However, he appears as a ghost playing pool in the sequel.

Barbie Doll Anatomy: Averted. When one of the pig cops is thrown through a church window (somehow lacking his pants and undergarments) you can clearly see his junk.

Until he takes his shirt and coat off, Fritz is usually drawn with this.

Barefoot Cartoon Animal: Most of the cast. Though confusingly, the cops are shown both with and without shoes in various scenes.

Face Palm: Duke does this complete with "Aww MAN!" when Fritz says something bad to the bartender.

Fantastic Racism: Somewhat. Crows stand in for black people in the movie, however the terms "crow" and "black/negro/colored" are used completely interchangeably.

Femme Fatale: Winston Schwartz, as evidenced by the song which introduces her:

She makes men into boys

She makes giants into men

She'll have you feeling guilty

Before you can count to ten

Funny Back Ground Event: When Fritz is preaching for revolt on top of the car in Harlem, someone in the crowd yells "Get the fuck off my car!"

Furry Denial: Ralph Bakshi's reasoning for why the anthropomorphic characters in this film never act like animals is that it would ruin what he was trying to create, which was a more realistic and mature form of animation. This is specifically the reason why the scene where Duke the Crow saves Fritz was changed from R. Crumb's comic; Crumb had Duke flying Fritz away from a car crash, whereas he grabs a railing in the film. Bakshi admits that he wasn't entirely satisfied with the solution, but it kept him from using any "animal" behavior to further the plot.

A Man Is Not a Virgin: Fritz tries and often succeeds at having sex with almost every female character in the film.

Mature Animal Story: One of the earliest animated films that feature a cast if anthropomorphic animals that is feared towards adults and deals with heavy subject matter.

One Steve Limit: Averted with two entirely different female companions of Fritz both named Winston. The first is a fox who engages in the orgies at the beginning and the end. The other, a dog named Winston Schwartz, goes on a road trip on Fritz but breaks up with him out of annoyance.

Vapor Wear: Bertha and Harriet both wear no underwear and skirts too short to cover their butts.

Working Through the Cold: Real-life example. Animator Ted Bonnicksen, who was gravely ill during production of the movie, was so dedicated to the film that he took his work home with him and worked on the film until his death.

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